Traditionally connectivity to a mobile telecommunications network, such as a mobile telephone network, has been provided via a mobile switching center (MSC), e.g., an MSC server. Each MSC server traditionally connected via network connections to a relatively limited number of radio network controllers (RNC), in UMTS parlance, or base station controllers (BSC) in GSM network terminology. Each such controller typically connected to and controlled a number of macrocellular bases stations, referred to as “node B” in UMTS terminology and as base transceiver stations (BTS) in a GSM network. Each controller typically had a T−1 or similar connection to each base station. Each base station included a large tower or other structure on which one or more transceivers were mounted to provide coverage for users who transited a coverage area or “cell” with which the base station was associated. Since a relatively few number of base station controllers (e.g., RNC or BSC) could support collective a relatively large number of base stations, typically MSC servers (and other MSC's) have been configured to support at most a limited number of controllers (e.g., RNC or BSC), e.g., on the order of 4,000.
In recent years, femtocells and other small scale base stations have been developed and deployed. As used herein the terms “femto access point”, “UMTS access point” or “UAP”, and small scale base station are used interchangeably to refer to a base station that is small in size relative to a traditional macrocellular base station. Each such base station typically provides coverage for a relatively small geographic coverage area, compared to a traditional macrocellular base station, and/or for a restricted and/or otherwise limited set of subscribers.